January 08, (THEWILL) –Â After recently contracting coronavirus, Jurgen Klopp is feeling fine and could return to the dugout for Liverpool’s FA Cup third-round tie against Shrewsbury Town on Sunday.
A positive test for COVID-19 saw to it that the Reds manager was unavailable for the 2-2 English Premier League draw with Chelsea last weekend.
In the midst of a “escalating number” of suspected COVID-19 cases, Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders also tested positive on Wednesday, forcing the club to close their training centre.
The Reds’ EFL Cup semi-final against Arsenal on Thursday was postponed as a result, but their match against third-tier Shrewsbury will go ahead this weekend.
Peter Krawietz, another of Klopp’s right-hand men, is optimistic that the 54-year-old will be able to take charge of the match at Anfield.
“We hope he will be involved,” Krawietz said. “He is fine. He has to do tests, but we hope he will be fine for tomorrow.”
After testing positive for coronavirus, Alisson, Roberto Firmino, and Joel Matip were ruled out of the draw with Chelsea.
Krawietz refused to say how many players Liverpool will be without for the Shrewsbury match, but conceded that preparing for the game has been difficult given the circumstances.
“I can’t tell you exact numbers but obviously the situation is like that for the game tomorrow,” he said. “We have a squad, we have a team and will try to win this game.
“It’s a difficult situation out there. We had a couple of injuries, illness, COVID cases. This is the situation we have to deal with.
“We’re still waiting on a few results with players who are not here today. They have to do their test before they can join the building. This is why I cannot give exact numbers.
“The training ground being shut means nobody could come here. We tried to stay in contact with our players during this period, just like we did in lockdown. Everyone is on their own and, thanks to our great working department, we were able to find solutions for the players.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
